University Interview : Entering into a university interview can be both daunting and nerve-wracking; even more so if it is your first experience speaking publicly. As such, interview preparation should always come before any potential interviews take place.
Once you understand the interviewers’ motivations, however, you will see that their interviews are simply ways for them to learn about you as an applicant and assess if their program of study would suit you well. Below are a few tips designed to help you ace your university interview and impress the admission committee members.
Ace Your University Interview:
1) Ensure You’re Familiar With The Program
First and foremost in interview preparation is familiarizing yourself with the program of study you are applying to. This means reading up on its description, course curriculum (both current and upcoming), admission requirements and tuition cost. One telltale sign that you know enough about a program to ace its interview is being able to answer questions from admission committee members without hesitation about these aspects of it.
2) Practice Answering Common Interview Questions
While every university may differ, most interviews will share common questions that you can prepare yourself for by writing down and practicing answers to. Common interview questions could include: why this university/program? what are your long- and short-term career goals? what are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? if any other inquiries will come up as well – simply note these as well and practice answering these. Practicing them will familiarise yourself with them more, giving you greater confidence.
3) Choose The Right Outfit For Your Interview
Clothing you wear to an interview is an integral component of preparation, and can have a dramatic impact on the interviewers (both positively and negatively). When selecting an ensemble for an interview, keep several things in mind when selecting an outfit: firstly comfort; secondly presentability and appropriateness according to university type; thirdly scalability (ie: fits in well with existing uniform).
Given the significance of an outfit, it’s wise to seek assistance from friends or family when selecting clothing for an important event. Make sure your nails and teeth are clean as well as having styled hair. Another factor when selecting outfits should be weather – in wintertime for instance you don’t want to show up wearing shorts and tank tops; your clothing should make you feel confident yet comfortable!
Also refer : The 10 Best Universities in the US
4) Come Armed With Good Answers To Common Questions
An interviewer should ask multiple questions throughout an interview and may even follow-up afterwards with some additional queries. To prepare yourself, a good way is to have a list of topics or questions frequently encountered at other interviews; alternatively you could look online for common interview questions.
Each university differs, but most interviewers will ask similar questions when interviewing for social work programs. You should anticipate being asked about your personal commitment to this field as well as questions about your strengths and weaknesses that you hope to bring into the program. You should also prepare for unexpected inquiries that you might not have heard before but can answer nonetheless.
5) The Day Before: Prepare Yourself Mentally And Physically
Many students make the mistake of waiting until just hours before an interview to prepare. While you should put forth effort in advance, one day isn’t enough for mastering everything! In order to feel relaxed and confident when entering an interview, meditation could help prepare you.
Your breathing and heart rate should decrease, helping you focus on the present moment and be less anxious. Ensuring you get enough restful sleep and consume healthy food before an interview is also essential – getting adequate rest helps ensure alertness while fueling up with healthy fare will keep your brain focused and lessen anxiety levels.
Conclusion
Interviewing for university can be a nerve-wracking experience. It’s even more daunting if you aren’t used to speaking publicly; your answers could come under scrutiny and judgment, which makes preparation of interview essential.
Once you understand their intention behind an interview, you’ll realize it’s simply an opportunity for them to get to know you as an applicant – there is no right or wrong answer; they want to see if you fit their program of study well and thrive there. With these tips at your disposal, aceing university interviews and impressing admission committee members isn’t hard at all!